Paint trays



m 1961 F. w. LOCKE ETAL PAINT TRAYS Filed Nov. 2, 1959 INVENTORS ATTORNEY E l 5 mm m a c H mm a w N Fw u 0m *4 5 5 N 7 W0 4 G h w F If United States Patent 2,988,260 PAINT TRAYS Frank W. Locke and Vincent S. Dahle, Minneapolis, assrgnors to Waldorf Paper Products Co., St. Paul, Minn, a corporation of Minnesota Filed Nov. 2, 1959, Ser. No. 850,162 6 Claims. (Cl. 229-34) This invention relates to an improvement in paint trays and deals particularly with an inexpensive tray formed of paperboard which may be used as a paint supply in a roller painting operation.

Since the use of paint rollers has become popular, trays of one type or another for use in holding the paint so that it can be applied to the roller have been developed. Most of these trays are formed of sheet metal and are thus relatively expensive to produce. After a period of use, the trays are normally cleaned with a suitable paint solvent so that they may be reused. Usually considerable time is required to clean the tray effectively and the tray must be stored between uses. It is an object of the present invention to produce a tray from paperboard so that it can be manufactured at a relatively low cost. As a result, the tray may be sold or given away with a quantity of paint, may be used for a single painting operation and then discarded. As a result, the necessity of cleaning the tray and storing it between periods of use is eliminated.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a tray having a closed end and parallel side walls. The end of the tray opposite the closed end is open and is provided with connected downwardly projecting flanges which support the open end of the tray spaced above the surface on which the tray is supported. As a result, the bottom of the tray is held in inclined position so that the supply of paint will drain toward the closed end of the tray. The open end of the tray and the inclined bottom simplify the task of inserting and withdrawing the roller and provide a surface over which the roller may be rolled to spread the paint evenly about the surface of the roller.

A feature of the present invention resides in the fact that the tray comprises merely a folded blank of corrugated paperboard or solid fibre which may be cut and scored in flat form. In forming the tray, it is only necessary to properly fold the wall panels to form the tray into a useable condition.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of corner flaps which hold the supporting panel of the tray in tray supporting position. These corner tflaps are connected to the ends of the side walls along diagonal lines of fold so that when the flaps are folded along the diagonal fold lines into surface contact with the outer surfaces of the side walls, the supporting panel is held in substantially right angular relation to the bottom panel to provide an efiective support without supplementary fastening means.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of tuck flaps on the ends of the side walls adjoining the closed end and in leaving portions of the paperboard between these flaps and the end wall panel in tact and uncut. During the folding of the tuck flaps against the end wall panel, this uncut portion of paperboard forms a small tuft of fibrous material at the lower corners of the container, thus forming an effective barrier to pre vent the leakage of the paint through the corners of the tray.

An added feature of the present invention resides in creasing the connection between these flaps and the side walls so that the end wall panel is supported at an acute angle to the bottom panel. As a result, by folding an end wall liner panel inwardly of the flaps, and properly Patented June 13, 1961 proportioning the size of this end wall liner panel, the panel will be effectively locked in set up position so that the tray will not unfold when set up.

These and other objects and novel features of the invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the tray in readiness for use.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view through the end wall of the tray, the position of the section being indicated by the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of one of the corners of the elevated end of the tray, showing the manner in which the corner flaps are folded to hold the supporting panel in position.

FIGURE 4 is a diagrammatic view of the blank from which the tray is formed.

As indicated in FIGURE 4 of the drawings, the tray A includes a rectangular bottom panel 10 which is foldably connected at one end along a fold line 11 to an outer end wall panel 12. The outer end wall panel 12 is foldably connected along a double score line 13 to an inner end wall panel or end wall liner panel 14.

The bottom panel 10 is also connected along parallel fold lines 15 and 16 which intercept the fold line 11 at right angles, to side wall panels 17 and 19 respectively. In the particular arrangement illustrated, the side walls 17 and 19 taper somewhat in height, being highest at the end adjoining the fold line 11.

Tuck flaps 20 and 21 are foldably connected to the end walls 17 and 19 along fold lines 22 and 23 which emanate from the juncture between the fold line 111 and the fold lines 15 and -16 respectively. The fold lines 22 and 23 are preferably at an acute angle to the fold lines 15 and 16. The flaps 20 and 21 are preferably substantially rectangular in outline and the notches 24 and 25 terminate in slightly spaced relation to the fold lines 22 and 23 forming an uncut triangular area 26 or 27 at the base of each of the notches 24 and 25.

The other end of the bottom panel 10 is connected along a fold line 29 which is parallel to the fold line 11 to an end panel or supportnig panel 30. Connecting flaps 31 and 32 are foldably connected to the ends of the side wall panels 17 and 19 along diagonal fold lines 33 and 34 which are preferably at approximately an angle of 45 with the fold lines 15 and 16 and which emanate from the junctures between the fold line 29 and the fold lines 15 and 16 respectively. The flaps 31 and 32 are also connected to the side edges of the supporting panel 30 along fold lines 35 and 36 which are extensions of the fold lines 15 and 16. If desired, the end of the supporting panel 30 may be notched as indicated at 37 so that the tray may more easily be supported on a slightly irregular surface.

The tray A is shipped and stored in the flat condition illustrated in FIGURE 4 of the drawings. When it is desired to erect the tray, the side walls 17 and 19 are folded upwardly and the supporting panel 30 is simultaneously folded downwardly, the connecting flaps 31 and 32 folding into right angular relation to the supporting panel and the flaps folding into substantially surface contact with end portions of the side walls to which they are connected. With this arrangement, as long as the side walls remain in substantially the connecting flaps will hold the supporting panel in substantially right angular relation to the bottom panel. The ends of the flaps 31 and 32 which are indicated at 39 and 40 preferably are cut angularly so as to be on a common plane with the end of the supporting panel 30 and with the end of the bottom panel 10 along the fold line 11 when the tray is erect.

3 The flaps 20 and 21 are then folded inwardly along the fold line 11, this action acting to rupture the uncut areas 26 and 27 so as to provide a tuft of paperboard at the corners of the tray. This tends to form a tight corner and to prevent the leakage of paint at the corners of the tray. The outer end wall panel 12 is folded upwardly outwardly of the flaps 20 and 21. The liner flap 14 is next folded over the inturned flaps 20 and 21 and downwardly into the position illustrated in FIGURE 2 of the drawings. An examination of FIGURE 2 of the drawings will indicate that the inner end wall 14 is of a length slightly greater than the distance between the upper edge of this liner wall and the bottom panel must be forced into position in parallel relation with the outer wall panel 12. This forms a firm lock for the end wall and holds the parts assembled.

When the tray is erect, paint can be poured onto the bottom panel 10, the viscosity of the paint tending to prevent the leakage of the paint through the corners of the tray. The roller may be partially emerged in the paint and rolled along the bottom panel 10 so as to smooth the paint about the surface of the roller. The roller is then used in the ordinary manner to apply paint to the desired surface.

In accordance with the patent statutes, we have described the principles of construction and operation of our improvement in paint trays, and while we have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, we desire to have it understood that changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of our invention.

We claim:

1. A tray including a paperboard sheet including an inclined bottom panel, parallel side wall panels, an end wall panel, said side and end wall panels extending up- Wardy from said bottom panel, and a supporting panel at the end of said bottom panel opposite said end wall panel extending downwardly from said bot-tom panel, flanges foldably connected to the ends of said side wall panels along diagonal fold lines and folded into face contact with portions of said side walls, said flanges being'foldably connected to the ends of said supporting panel.

2. A tray including a paperboard sheet including a generally rectangular bottom panel, side walls extending upwardly from opposite edges of said bottom panel, corner flaps hinged to two opposed ends of'said side walls, an end panel foldably connected to an end of said bottom panel and extending upwardly therefrom, a liner panel foldably connected to the upper edge of said end panel and folded into generally parallel relation inwardly thereof, said corner flaps being sandwiched between said end panel and said liner panel, flaps foldably connected to the other ends of said side walls along diagonal fold lines and folded against the outer surfaces of adjoining portions of said side walls, and a supporting panel hinged to said bottom panel and to said last mentioned flaps, said supporting, panel extending downwardly from said bottom panel.

3. A tray including a paperboard sheet including an inclined bottom panel, parallel side wall panels, an end wall panel, said side and end wall panels extending upwardy from said bottom panel, and a supporting panel at the end of said bottom panel opposite said end wall panel extending downwardly from said bottom panel, flanges foldably connected to the ends of said side wall panels along diagonal fold lines and folded into face contact with portions of said side walls, said flangesbeing foldably connected to the ends of said supporting panel, and means connecting said side wall panels to said end wall panel to hold the same in proper relation.

4. A tray blank including a rectangular bottom panel, a pair of side wall panels connected to said bottom panel along two opposed edges thereof, an end wall hingedly connected to a third edge of said bottom panel, a supporting panel hingedly connected to said bottom panel along the fourth edge thereof, flanges hingedly connected to the edges of said supporting panel along lines of fold substantially aligned with said two opposed edges of said bottom panel, said flanges being connected to two opposed ends of said side walls along diagonal fold lines, and corner flaps connected to the other ends of said side walls.

5. The structure of claim 4 and including a liner panel hingedly connected to the end of said end wall.

6. A tray including a paperboard sheet including an inclined bottom panel, parallel side wall panels, an end wall panel, said side and end wall panels extending upwardy from said bottom panel, and a supporting panel at the end of said bottom panel opposite said end wall panel extending downwardly from said bottom panel, and means holding said supporting panel in generally right angular relation to said bottom panel, said last named means comprising flanges foldably connecting said supporting panel and said side wall panels.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,905,371 Huif Sept. 22, 1959 

